Tuesday, March 6, 2012

My husband and I often joke that Big Sister E takes after him when it comes to eating sweets, while Little Sister B resembles me.

Meaning he and Big Sister E have an internal meter that allows them to actually stop eating something tasty and save the rest for later... while poor Little Sister B seems destined to follow in my yum-this-is-good-shove-ALL-of-it-in-my-mouth-right-now footsteps.

Sorry, kid. It's in your genes.

However, as well as hoping to teach both of my kids to eat treats in moderation, I also like to look for ways that we can still enjoy delicious flavor but with less fat and calories. That makes it the best of both worlds, right?

Which is exactly what has happened now that Cold Stone Creamery has introduced their new Frozen Yogurt Creations and Shakes

Just launched at the end of February, Cold Stone Creamery's Frozen Yogurt Creations and Shakes provide fans of the "Ultimate Ice Cream Experience" with the less fat and less calorie "Ultimate Frozen Yogurt Experience." Yum!

All of Cold Stone Creamery's frozen yogurt comes in non-fat and low-fat flavors that include probiotics and are low in calories. So instead of walking out of there with a satisfied sweet tooth but a guilty conscience about having enjoyed their delicious ice cream, you can now substitute frozen yogurt instead and put your mind at ease (while still making your taste buds happy).

And when it comes to happy taste buds, we have yet to be disappointed when visiting our local Cold Stone Creamery.

At our recent visit, we were only a few steps in the door when I saw the first sign giving customers a hint that there was something new going on in this mecca of ice cream.

Sure enough, frozen yogurt was on full display right with the ice cream and I love that these tasty options start at only 34 calories per ounce.

While you can create your own custom mixture with Cold Stone's frozen yogurt, the new Frozen Yogurt Creations ideas that they have come up with include:

All of these delicious treats are made with Cold Stone Creamery's signature low fat, low calorie frozen yogurt but the flavor is still fully delectable. We couldn't wait to sample a taste or two of the frozen yogurt and then, after pondering just exactly what we would like mixed in...

...we ended up with a few different creations of our own that really hit the spot. They were made even more fun by the fact that the Cold Stone Creamery Team Member that helped us was enthusiastic and cheerful, actually throwing our mixes up in the air to catch them in the cups!

Raspberry frozen yogurt with Oreo cookie pieces!

We ended up sharing our various dishes and, had I not known that some were ice cream and some were frozen yogurt, I would never have guessed! The frozen yogurt was just as smooth, creamy and delicious as the ice cream — something that Cold Stone Creamery is definitely known for providing.

A fun environment, endless choices, scrumptious flavors and now with less fat and calories? Well, that's just something that we can all be happy about.

If you've never visited a Cold Stone Creamery before, you don't know what you're missing! With locations all across the U.S. (and beyond), check out their store locator to find the one nearest you so that you can try their mouthwatering desserts. Or, if you just haven't visited your closest Cold Stone lately, be sure to plan a trip over there so that you can see just how yummy their frozen yogurt truly is.

Thanks to their generosity, one person will be even more prepared to head out for a tasty treat, because...

One lucky person will win a $20 gift card to Cold Stone Creamery!

To enter to win: Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite ice cream/frozen yogurt flavor and topping or mix-in. Do you like chocolate with brownies? Strawberry with M&M's? Vanilla with hot fudge?

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Cold Stone Creamery on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

1 Extra Entry (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.2 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 27th at 11:59pm CST. By entering this sweepstakes, you are agreeing to these official rules. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and must be 18 years of age or older.

A big thank you to Cold Stone Creamery for providing a gift card for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

I remember the first time I had Cold Stone. Dave and I were in Kauai, almost 9 years ago. We found this ice cream shop that looked good, so we went in to try. I asked for a sample of the cake batter ice cream and nearly passed out, it was so good!

About 2 years later, Dave drove me all the way to Kansas City for a Cold Stone that just opened. We finally got one here and I overdosed on it. LOL! I haven't had it in awhile.